Colorado Buffaloes star Travis Hunter has captivated the football world with his two-way abilities playing as a cornerback and wide receiver. With the college football regular season nearly drawing to a close, Hunter is among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy this year.
Another discussion where Hunter is getting the attention is the 2025 NFL Draft. The two-way star will declare for the 2025 class, and speculations are already running wild, with many expecting him to be the top overall pick — even ahead of top quarterbacks like the Buffaloes’ Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward.
NFL Analyst Pushes Back on Possibility of Travis Hunter Continuing To Play 2 Ways
NFL analyst Ryan Wilson joined the CBS Sports show to discuss Hunter’s NFL potential. With the Jacksonville Jaguars currently holding the top pick next year and fixated on continuing with Trevor Lawrence at quarterback, the possibility of them picking a premium position player is the likely scenario.
Talking about it, Wilson said:
“If I’m the Jacksonville Jaguars, I am taking Travis Hunter and not thinking twice about it. He’s the best player in this draft class. He’s arguably the best player in college football, and it’s not just because of what he does at one position — it’s what he does at two positions.”
However, Wilson did raise alarms considering the fact receivers can get hurt more often than cornerbacks.
“He’s a cornerback first,” Wilson said. “You talk to scouts; you talk to him over the summer, and they felt cornerback was his position for the future, partly because he’s gotten hurt playing wide receiver. The anecdotal thinking is that you’re more likely to get hurt receiving hits as opposed to giving them.
“But — and it’s a big ‘but’ here — when you see him play offensively and the things he’s capable of doing in terms of taking over games, you realize he needs a package of plays for him at the next level.”
Ryan Wilson Suggests How NFL Teams Can Handle Hunter’s Workload
While many analysts think Hunter may not be able to continue performing both sides of the ball, Wilson shared one way in which an NFL team that picks him could use his abilities.
“He can’t play 120 snaps in the NFL, but he could play 60 — about 45 on defense and 15 or so on offense — to get the best of both worlds,” Wilson said.
Wilson also mentioned that if the Jaguars were to draft him, they’d solve two issues with one player. With wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., their rookie first-round pick who has performed well this season, Wilson thinks it will be a nice one-two punch to have for Lawrence.